As a mom of one, I developed a bulge in my lower belly after I gave birth to my son almost 2 years ago. I didn’t really work much on my belly because I went back to my pre-pregnancy weight almost immediately after giving birth and the bulge wasn’t really noticeable.

Belly fat can be tricky to eliminate

Fast forward to one and a half years later and my belly now looks like a beer barrel as I began to gain weight. Being a stay-at-home mom who hardly ever works out and does a sedentary job, gaining weight was inevitable.

Although, taking care of an active toddler full-time can count as physical exercise, it can’t replace a good old full body workout. So I did some research online to find other ways to trim down my belly without enlisting the services of a personal trainer (especially since I can’t afford that anyways), and I found two methods that actually worked to some extent.

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1. Lemon and water detox

The lemon and warm water detox is a very common home therapy for cleansing your system. Lemon is a power fruit that contains a generous amount of Vitamin C and antioxidants which are very good for improving skin quality, preventing common cold and promoting weight loss. Lemon also aids digestion and serves as a laxative, preventing constipation. To prepare this detox drink, just squeeze half a lemon into a glass of warm water and drink it on an empty stomach in the morning. I intended to do this for one week but I had to stop on Day 5 due to diarrhea. It so happens that I have a sensitive stomach that reacts to citrus fruits if I consume them every day consecutively. My waistline only reduced by half an inch, but my energy level spiked up on those days I had the detox drink. I’m sure I would have had a better result if I had continued the detox for another week or two.

2. Intermittent fasting

This one seemed simple on paper but was quite tough on me. Intermittent fasting is a method of eating that revolves around periods of fasting and eating. This lifestyle technique has been proven to promote weight loss, increase energy levels and improve health. However, it requires some level of discipline for it to work. For me, I had my fast between 7p.m and 12p.m. This way, I ate my last meal of the day by 7p.m and refrained from eating until noon the next day. The first few days were a bit tough for me because I usually go to bed late, so by 10p.m or so, I find myself feeling hungry. I initially tried staving off hunger by drinking water but that led to too many bathroom breaks before morning, so I stopped and just endured the hunger instead. At the end of Day 7 I could tell by the looseness of my clothes that I had lost a bit of weight. As for my belly, I went from 31 inches to 29 & half inches which for me was quite impressive. I was also mindful of what I ate in those seven days of intermittent fasting as I packed my diet full with foods rich in fibre, fruits and lots of water. I intend to continue with the fasting until I reach my pre-pregnancy waistline of 28 inches, which isn’t far beyond reach right now.